Various types of paint roller cages are known in the prior art; however, these paint roller cages are renowned for the propensity to permit slippage of a roller cover from the roller cage frame during usage. What is needed is a paint roller frame with a barbed cage including elongated rods mounted longitudinally between end members of a roller cage frame, the rods having protruding barbs that frictionally engage an inner bore of a roller cover to prevent slippage of the roller cover from the roller cage frame.